Posts Tagged ‘local people’

Local Travel: Connecting Independent Travelers with People and Places

8 April 2010 420 views No Comment

Within the past few weeks, over 40 (and counting) companies and organizations from around the world – representing a diverse range of industry segments and interest areas, from urban travel to wildlife safari, from international companies to community-based groups – have gathered in support of the Local Travel Movement, a new global initiative promoting the local way of travel – getting in touch with the local people and seeing a place like a local.

One look at the list of current partners, and you’ll see that this movement has not set out to create a narrowly defined category or set of terms to be analyzed; rather, the movement is about creating and promoting opportunities. Opportunities for travelers to discover new, exciting and enriching ways to experience the world. Opportunities for tourism organizations to connect with each other and share stories. Opportunities for the tourism industry to help give locals a real voice and develop a stronger ethical dialogue about tourism’s connections with local people, the local environment, local culture and the local economy.

Visiting a local farmer’s market is a great way to enjoy
conversations with the locals and get a real taste of local flavors.

Promoting these Local Travel Values, TIES joins our friends and partners in encouraging travelers around the world to think about and appreciate all the things that make your travel special and memorable – learning to use simple phrases in the local language and communicating with your local hosts with and without words; experiencing an authentic taste of local specialties; being part of grassroots activities giving back to the people and places you’re visiting.

Spending your money locally and contributing to the local economy
is one important way of promoting the local way of travel.

We believe that these values are well-aligned with the principles of ecotourism, which are about minimizing the negative footprint of your travel, and maximizing the positive impact – benefiting conservation and the well-being of local people. By choosing to “go local” whenever possible – eating local food, enjoying traveling slowly by bike or on foot, and opting for locally-owned and operated accommodation – you are making a difference for the people and places you visit.

Try renting a bike from a friend or from a local bike rental service
and take a relaxing ride around the community you’re visiting.

For travellers it’s a chance to get under a place’s skin (and let it under theirs), while also making the most of their travel time and saving money by spending locally. For host communities, it is vital for enforcing the beneficial qualities of tourism, maximising a general awareness of the local culture and minimising ‘leakage’ from the local economy. Read more